Terminal arrangement for rocket missiles



Feb. 11, 1958 NILE-ERIK GUSTAF KULLER ETAL 2,322,756

TERMINAL ARRANGEMENT FOR ROCKET. MISSILES Filed May 15, 1953 NVENT I NILS-ERIK GUST LER 3l v KARL-JOHN THORILD TH LDSSON ATTORNEY United States Patent 2.825756 TERMIN AI; ARR "ANGEME'NTFGR Rocker? MISSILES AppliationMfiy 15:19 53, 'Srial' Ntfi 3553421 8- Claims (CL? 1025 -49)? TheLpresent invention relates. to .missiles .inithe.-form of. rockets, particularly; to. ..rockets in which. the firing charge; is disposed .betweentherocket or. war. headicon-v tainingtthej explosive charge and the. propulsionicharge and. in... which an electric. .detonating device for. setting ofi-lthe. firing. chargev =is actuated Ibyv :connecting. a thedetonating devicel by an electric cable..with .a distant pow/"er supply, ithat-is a power. supply. separatedfromthe. rocket.

WithJocketsofv theageneral type .abovereferred to, the: cable-.is usually. guided through the..rocketmotor and-led. out through a-nozzle at. the rear.:endof the rocket-..motor. Experience showssthat when the. rocket is fired the. cable is expelled with .such- .force that .it -may injur espersonnel or. pierce ,and..otherwise-. damage. an. air-. craftcarrying the rocket...

Accordingly, the principal object of the presentinv'en-v tion-is ztoaprovidea novel- .andimprovedarrangement of the electric-terminal connectionsforconnectingJhe detow natingdeviceswiththe "power supply. by,.whichthe afore: mentioned-disadvantages of the-conventionalEarrangement arecompletely.avoided.-.

Another Objtw0f= theinvention is ;to .provide a 'novel and. improved arrangement in which the terminal connections areso located that they; are protectedagainst the blast! from thesnozzle thereby preventing the. afore: mentioned-dangerous expulsion-of the.- connecting cable when the rocket-is-fireda Stilbanother .object 1 of the invention is to provide a terminal-.arrangementxin which thewire. connectionsare led .out through athe sidewall lof the 5 mckebrathen than through thetnozzle. Asfnrtherxobject of. the invention. is -.to provide" a selfco'ntaineda'nnit including-= the: firings charge;- its- .eleetric detonating device and its terminals andtto .fit-the1 said unit in the outer side wall of the rocket thereby protecting dreamt against the 'etteot of the 'bla'st -from the nozzle.

Other..and,.further objects, features, and advantages of the; invention will" be pointed out; hereinafter. and set forth inlitliefappended'claims forming art ofT theiapplicationi In the accompanying-.drawing. .several now preferred embodiments of the invention;.are shownwby wayrof illustration andlnot by way of limitation...

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side view of a rocket missile according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged detail view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modification of the part shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the rocket motor showing an embodiment of the invention in form of a selfcontained unit.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 7 is a detail view of Fig. 6 on an enlarged scale.-

W 2,822,756 Patented Feb. 11,1958

Refeiiinfglfiist'itoiFig'sl1} 2 a'nd3fin-detail, these fig;- ures show= a'rocket-having awar'head 1 joinedtothe forward lend. of a generally tubular rocket motor. 2-.by a' generally cylindrical intermediate member 3 which is threadediintohead 1 and'motor 2" respectively. The rear 'partofthei rocket motor and the nozzle or nozzles extending therefrom areomittedas .they are not essen tialjto. theunderstandingr.ofvthe invention. The firing charge 4 is .disposedwithin therocketmotor andis set ofl by means of an electric detonating device- 5fi The arrangement of both the vfiringcharge and the detonating device is conventional. The :detonating device is connecte-dfby. a cable- 6 witha power supply (not shown).

Theeterminal means accordin gmto the invention-for connecting wires 'l. and 8 leading from the detonating device S'with cable. wires 9 and 10 leadingto the power supply-..c0mprise.:two terminal bushingsgenerally designatediby. l'llandilzl- Each ofvthese bushings isshown as comprising a generally conical or pyramidical'metal body..facing. outwardly. and ending in a-threaded portion 14*.protruding fromthe-outerside wallof the rocket motor. The. two bushings-are .fittedin-correspondingly tapered holes1 5 and-16-in.:the-wall of' therocket motor; To ob-tainaatightfit of the metal 'bodies in the motor walllthe .m-etal bodiesvare shown asbeing-coated with an insulating sealing. material 17. The ends of Wires-7, 9 and .3,-! 10 are secured to. the respective ends ofthe metal bodies, preferably by fitting the wire-ends-in-conrespondingzbores of-.the metal bodies as can best be seenin- Fig.3. Thetwo terminals 11 -and'12may further be insu-lated from each otherby an insulationdisle 18 which also serves to improvethe sealingbetween-the terminals and the wall of the rocket motor. The bushings. .formed..by the terminals 11 and 12.=areforced into sea-lingz engagement with the motor wall by tightening nuts .19 and-20 respectively. A washer 21 :maybe inter-. posed between the nuts and 'theinsulation plate 18."

As appears from theprevious 'description, the amounting of the terminals in the -.outerside wall-:ofthe'rocket motorefiectively prevents the aforementioned dangerous expulsion-oftherconnecting cable when therocket is fired.

Fig.4 shows-a modification-20f the terminal :bushings according-to Figs. 1 and'3 in which the coated metal body'13 is replaced a by aconical or pyramidic'al insul-a; tion body 22 provided with-an-aXial-bore"23.- Wire-- 7 is-extended-throughsaidbore and ends ima -threaded lug 24 which serves to receive tightening;nut -19:and=the outer wire 9 or 10 of cablez6.

Fig. 5 shows a terminal arrangement whichvisbasical-ly similar-to the terminal arra'ngements 'ofJFigs. .2.to:-4 but distinguishedfrom these arrangements in thatltheztermi nal arrangement of Fig.5 constitutes a=self=contained unit. For this purpose; thefiring charge; 4;-the-=electric detonatingdeviceS and the terminal bushings, are mounted Within a cartridge-like casingz25- WhlGh-lS' fittedwith -.a tight-fit in a corresponding opening in the. outer sidelwall of-therocket motor -'and can be withdrawnttherefromaas a complete unit. Casing;25 maybe-secured -in the rocket wall by any suitable means such as a threaded portion 26 which is threaded into corresponding threads in the wall opening.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a terminal arrangement which is also similar in principle to the previously described arrangements but distinguished from these arrangements in that the terminal bushings are mounted in an intermediate member 30 joining the war head 1 with the rocket motor 2 similar to the member 3 of Fig. 2. Member 30 is hollow and of generally cylindrical shape. It is considerably longer than member 3 and divided by a transverse partition wall 31. The outer wall of member 34) is provided with an annular groove 32 situated in juxtaposition with partition wall 31. The cross-sectional configuration of the groove can be clearly seen in Figs. 6 and 7. The base of the groove which is next adjacent to firing charge 4 is provided with two tapered holes 33 for the terminal bushings, one holeand one .bushing being shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The bushing comprises an outwardly tapered metal body 34 which may be covered with .an insulating sealing material 35. The wires 7 and 9 are again secured to the ends of metal body 34 as has been described in connection with the previous figures. A portion 36 of metal body 34 protruding into the groove is threaded and serves to receive a tightening nut 37. Groove 32 is preferably lined with insulation material 38, and a washer 39 may be interposed between nut 37 and insulation layer 38. I,

Tightening of nut 36 will draw the terminal fittings against the tapered wall of opening 33. The sealing between the terminal fittings and the adjacent wall will be further increased in this embodiment of the invention and also in the previously described embodiments when pressure is developed within the rocket motor.

The second terminal bushing is identical with the previously described one so that it is not essential to illustrate the second terminal.

It will be apparent from the previous description that the terminai fittings of Figs. 6 and 7 may also be designed similar to the terminal of Fig. 4, that is, an insulation body may be provided through which the connecting wires are extended. It will further be apparent that with the terminal arrangement of Figs. 6 and 7 and also with the arrangements according to the previously described figures several conductors may be led out through a single terminal fitting.

Groove 32 is covered by a ring sleeve 40 which is fitted in corresponding annular recesses in war head 1 and member 30 respectively so that the ring sleeve is substantially flush with the outer wall of member 30 and rocket motor 2.

Ring 40 mounts a support member 41 for suspending the rocket. This member is of generally cylindrical shape and has an annular groove 42 to form support flanges. Member 41 is provided with an axial bore, preferably lined with insulation material 43. This bore serves to lead out the wire connections.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rocket missile having a War head, a generally tubular rocket motor, a firing charge and an electric detonating device for said charge disposed within the rocket motor, a generally cylindrical intermediate member joining the war head with the rocket motor and formed with an annular groove, electric terminal means extending through the wall portion of said member defining said groove for connecting the detonating device with a distant power supply, said terminal means comprising 4 outwardly tapered bushings having a portion protruding into said groove, and a sleeve member fitted upon said intermediate member for covering said groove flush with the outer side wall of the rocket motor.

2. A rocket missile according to claim 1, wherein a tightening means is fitted upon each of said bushings for tightening the same in the wall of said intermediate member.

3. A rocket missile according to claim 1, wherein a support means for suspending the rocket extends from the outside of said sleeve member.

4. A rocket missile according to claim 3, wherein the said support means are formed with bores therethrough for the passage of electric conductors leading to said bushings.

5. In a rocket missile having a war head, a generally tubular rocket motor, a firing charge and an electric detonating .device for said charge disposed completely within the rocket motor housing and providing a substantially flat outer surface therewith, and electric terminal means extending in side by side parallel relationship through the outer side wall of the rocket motor housing anddisposed directly behind said war head for connecting the detonating device with a distant power supply, said terminal means comprising conically tapered bushings with the bases thereof disposed within said housing, the narrow end of each of said bushings extending outwardly through said outer side wall of the rocket motor housing, said outer side wall having correspondingly tapered holes therethrough for sealing said bushings to said walls in response to pressure developed within the rocket motor, the effective seal of said bushing with said wall increasing in proportion to an increase in pressuredeveloped within said motor.

6. A rocket missile according to claim 5, wherein each of said bushings comprises a solid tapered resilient insulation body having an axial bore therethrough for passage of an electric conductor of the terminal means, the wide end of each of said bushings extending into said motor and presenting a continuous convex surface.

7. A rocket missile according to claim 5, wherein each of said bushings comprises a tapered metal body, the side wall of said body being completely coated with a layer of resilient insulation material, said metal body constituting an electric conductor of the terminal means.

8. A rocket missile according to claim 5, wherein the narrow ends of said bushings are radially extended beyond the peripheral outline of the rocket motor, and wherein tightening means are fitted upon the protruding narrow bushing portions for tightening the bushings in their holes to provide a sealing engagement of said bushings with said motor wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 272,168 Switzerland Feb. 16, 1951 

